


The Best Laid Plans

by Diomede



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, Humor, Rivals to Lovers, dwsecretsanta
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-05-12 03:36:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5651107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diomede/pseuds/Diomede
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Agent Bad Wolf has been selected for a covert operation to obtain encryption software. Under the cover of attending a lavish party at the embassy with fellow agent The Captain, all of their hard work is threatened to come undone by a unfortunate event ignited by a fellow agent known as The Doctor.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My dwsecretsanta  pinch hit on tumblr for the amazing @bubblygal92. I took two of her prompts and rolled them into one. But I really really wanted to do all four, so that may end up happening. :)</p>
<p>Beta by the lovely @faithosaurus</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bubblygal92](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubblygal92/gifts).



Rose always hated satin gloves. From the very first time she played dress up, she learned that she couldn't do anything in them without a single thread snagging and ruining them. They didn't keep you warm or protect you. They squeezed her arms and were far too short for her fingers. Nothing screamed “I'm wearing a garment that makes my limbs useless if I actually try to use my hands” better than a pair of satin opera gloves.

 

She couldn't hide anything in them nor could she move her fingers in them. And right now, more than anything else, she couldn't get a decent enough grip on the lapels of her fellow agent to get him to focus at the mission at hand.

 

oOo

 

Rose never was one to work with a partner in the field. The “Bad Wolf” preferred to work alone but from time to time she would pair up with other agents as the assignment saw fit. When this particular mission came up to infiltrate an embassy dinner, she thought “Legs” and “The Centurion” were a shoe-in for it. They worked seamlessly together and although it was never official, talk around the armory requisition counter was that the two may have broken quite a few fraternization rules in the agency.

 

Much to Rose’s chagrin, this particular assignment required not only her charisma but her gymnastic skills for one integral part of the operation. The target of the mission was a server located on the second floor. Within it contained encryption decoding that the agency had been tasked in obtaining. The job would be simple enough: go to the dinner, slip away from the party, locate the server, download the files using the small flash drive artfully embedded in her hair clip and then leave with no one the wiser. The room was protected using motion detection and pressure sensitive tiles; nothing the Bad Wolf couldn't get past.

 

Since the dinner was to be held in one of the great halls at the embassy, she was paired with an agent that could provide technological support as well as charismatically pose as her husband.

 

During the strategy meetings and planning sessions, “The Captain” had been more than the perfect partner. They had poured over every inch of the building to determine access points, blind spots in surveillance and exit strategies. All of the specs of the room were compiled by combining dozens of work requisitions as well as creating hypotheticals of every device currently on, and off, the market. Point by point, the pair went through contingency plans for anything that could be thrown at them to ensure that every possible outcome had been thought of. The Captain and Bad Wolf worked in brilliant synchronicity as they planned, each testing one another with a “what if” scenario and feeling confident in the other's answer.

 

“You know, I like the way you think when the shit hits the fan.” The Captain smirked as he downed the last of his coffee. “Honestly, I’m impressed. Every scenario I throw at you, you don’t even flinch. Why has the Bad Wolf played lone wolf for so long?”

 

As he binned his empty cup, he stood in front of Rose, well into her personal space. She could smell his cologne and see the strength he commanded in his broad shoulders. She smiled back and looked into the Captain’s eyes. “I should be insulted, but I’ll take the compliment. I have no aversion to working with a partner, but most of my targets command a singular approach by the female persuasion.”

 

The Captain laughed. “Oh I’ve had my fair share of honey pot missions, and believe me I can be anyone's preference.” He took Rose’s hand and kissed her fingers. “After this, wanna swap stories over drinks? I’m sure we could learn a lot of techniques from one another.”

 

“Oh my god! You did not just try to pick me up.” Rose guffawed as she tried to get out her sentence without completely doubling over. “Seriously?” She looked at his blue eyes and saw a bit of hurt in them but also a bit of affection.

 

“Can you blame a guy? But I’m serious about swapping stories sometime, even if just as comrades in arms. I think I could learn a lot from a lady that can turn down all this.” The Captain threw his arms wide and did a spin to show off all that he offered. “Now my darling wife, would you do me the honour of accompanying me to the White Stag? We’ve got a date with two marks in about an hour.”

 

Extending his elbow, the Captain asked if he could lead the way. With a shake of her head, she took his proffered arm and walked down the hallway to the on-site agent housing to change. By no means were the living quarters meant to be permanently used by the agents. Each agent had a small studio within the compound used for respites, long hours at the agency or when debriefing took longer than hoped. In cases like tonight, it kept both agents looking fresh and perfectly dressed for their roles of a well to do couple having a night on the town. 

 

The Captain’s American bravado paired well with her English grace when it came time to frequent various restaurants and social clubs weeks before the night of the event. They made the necessary acquaintances they needed to at these hot spots around town, so that on the night of the dinner, they already knew who to mingle and disappear into the crowd with.

 

The Captain was a natural flirt, and in his current role as Jack Harkness, retired USAF pilot turned board member of a British transatlantic airline, he could spin stories of his wartime heroics as well as grouse about budgets and shareholders. With his wife on his arm, they would work the room and reacquaint themselves with a few of the elite friends they made over the past two months, catching up and learning more about the people who would unknowingly help them blend into the party as they expertly maneuvered through the mission.

 

As a matter of security, agents never used their real names so other than their code name, aliases were as plenty as grains of sand on a beach. Only the most egotistical of agents used the same alias, despite reprimands from higher up the chain of command. Jack was one of two agents notorious for this. Rose, on the other hand, abided by the rules; however, tended toward a floral theme. Tomorrow, Mr Jack Harkness and his beautiful wife Lily would enter the embassy as husband and wife, and exit as agents with another mission completed with honours.

 

Unfortunately, the Captain would not be able to make it to the party.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Mr and Mrs Harkness to go out on the town. Its a reunion for one and not-the-best first impression for the other.

The White Stag was a posh little bar that served overpriced drinks in what was once an alley between two markets. As the downtown district flourished, developers swooped in and refurbished the market spaces into two of the best restaurants in the city. The alley was built out and the Stag nestled between the two eateries. It served as the perfect overflow to bide time for either establishment whether it was before or after a meal.

 

The bartenders knew Jack and Lily Harkness well. After dining out, the incredibly attractive couple had become regulars at the bar over the past few weeks. As the American businessman was accustomed to tipping well, those working the bar liked having their patronage. It wasn't just about the tips (it did help), but how gracious the couple was. Interacting with Lily alone would balance out the plethora of rude patrons they were sure to deal with during service.

 

The dinner rush had settled into its peak, so many of the mingling patrons were waiting for a table at either restaurant that flanked the bar. As Jack and Lily passed through the doors, they surveyed the crowd. It appeared that the couple they were hoping to bump into was still at dinner and had not yet arrived. Settling in at a high-top, Jack nodded in the direction of the bar to her in silent communication.

 

Carefully following his line of sight, Bad Wolf zeroed onto the couple seated at the edge of the bar. A man in a brown suit leaned awkwardly against the mahogany countertop and was speaking to a red-haired woman who seemed to be mildly annoyed, staring at her drink as she swirled two small straws around it. “A tenner says we’re about to watch a failed attempt at a honeypot.” The Captain's voice was low as he leaned into her, speaking into her shoulder. She could feel him trying to quell a giggle. “I’m going to get us some drinks. The usual my dear?”

 

Bad Wolf looked at the Captain with a calculating eyebrow raised. “Please, ta. And I see your wager. No way she’s one of ours.”

 

“Who said anything about her?” he winked and spun gracefully out of view, leaving his dear wife awestruck. The look of shock on her face was reward enough for the Captain as he strode to the bar.

 

Leaning over the stool beside the redhead in question, he could hear the sad display the pinstriped man was articulating. Using her as a barrier, the Captain ordered their drinks and listened in. It wasn't what he was saying, but how it had nothing to do with her. It was always the same with the Doctor, ever since they were in training together. He could talk for hours about himself or his brilliance. He could babble on about every subject Oxford taught, but never stop to actually talk with someone. It wasn’t malicious; he was just that daft when it came to social moirés. The Captain was one of the few people who understood this, having roomed with him throughout their training. The Doctor was the most brilliant man he knew, but also the most adorably single-minded at times. He loved the Doctor like a little brother but kept it close to his vest, lest anyone find out and use it against him or worse.

 

Out of his periphery, he could see that the woman had turned to face the bar straight on, but she was starting to look at him. Half-heartedly cursing his magnetism, the Captain turned to look at the couple fully on. Plastering a look of completely rehearsed shock on his face, he looked squarely at the man and shouted, “Doctor Smith! As I live and breath, I haven't seen you in ages. How long has it been?” This night was getting better and better. He swore that the look on the Doctor’s face mirrored the one that was previously on Bad Wolf’s. Oh he was good.

 

oOo

 

Bad Wolf watched as her “husband” called attention to himself at the bar. “Fantastic,” she mumbled. Rolling her eyes, she sat and watched the scene play out in front of her. The man in the brown suit seemed to be frozen in a state of shock, except for his mouth, which he kept opening and closing like a fish out of water. The Captain reached out to take the woman’s hand in his and brought it to his lips in introduction. She watched in disbelief how the woman’s demeanor changed as she fell victim to his charm. “Unbelievable,” she whispered to herself. She watched Brownie, as she now deemed him in her head, had regained his power of speech and walk around the seated woman and over to the Captain, who had just turned back to the bartender to take their drinks. As Brownie started to have words with him, the Captain did the astonishing. He pivoted, put both of the drinks down, spun on his heel, grabbed Brownie on either side of his face and planted an outlandish kiss on his lips. Rose tried to stifle her giggled shock as the kiss was completed with a loud “Muah!”. Just as fast as the Captain executed the move, he retrieved the drinks, nodded a farewell to the bewildered redhead and stepped around a very stunned Brownie.

 

Bad Wolf couldn't stop smiling as the Captain approached her. “Now THAT technique they don’t teach in disarmin’ a situation. Granted, ’m not sure if I wish this place was packed or completely deserted after seeing that little display. But still,” she hummed. “Bravo.”

 

The Captain lifted his glass in a small toast of thanks and took a swig of his drink. in a flash the man in the brown suit appeared behind him, positively seething. “Uh oh,” Rose chuckled, taking in his lean body and mop of unruly hair. “So Jack dear, tell me how y’know Brownie?”

 

Brownie turned his gaze to Bad Wolf and heatedly squeaked out, “Brownie? I’m Brownie?” Trying not to choke on his drink, the Captain gestured to the man’s suit but no one was paying attention to him. This only infuriated the man further.

 

Bad Wolf smiled and turned slightly to the Captain, not moving her eyes from Brownie. “Well the suit is just a part of it. You’ve got this whole sorta brown thing going on, is all. Bit monochromatic, yeah?”

 

With a look of disgust Brownie started to retort her comment, but the Captain stepped in. “Now what my wife here is trying to say, is that if you are going to go undercover then bland colors may be your thing. But if you going to be a raven, you’ve got to wear something with more color. Style.”

 

“Jack!” Brownie yelled in surprise. “What are you doing? You shouldn't…”

 

The Captain placed a firm hand over his mouth and shushed him. “Doctor. I know what I’m doing, been on the field a helluva lot longer than you. It's fine. Anyway, introductions are in order. This is Bad Wolf, or “Lily” at the moment. Bad Wolf, this is the Doctor.”

 

Bad Wolf and the Doctor sized one another up, poker faces firmly in place. She had heard of this agent but never saw him on the field. Word around was he was absolutely brilliant but his field work was rough, sloppy. Some said he belonged in the lab because every time a new piece of tech was released, he'd tinker with it until it was unrecognizable. There was a rumor that he actually was sequestered to the lab due to an accident at the academy, but that was the problem with working in intelligence, your intel was only as good as its source. Hearsay may have a kernel of truth, but it wasn't enough to stake lives on.

 

As Bad Wolf took in his features, she watched with a wary eye that he was studying her. She knew she had a reputation of being a loner and a perfectionist, but she carried those stigmas with pride. She tried to relax her shoulders and give him as little as possible, but his eyes seemed to scan the skin on her arms and shoulders, tracing every scar she carefully concealed with make-up but earned with pride nonetheless.

 

Two could play at this game, she thought. His snug but ill-fitting suit showcased his thin frame, but the layers under the jacket hinted how lithe his body truly was. As she gazed down to her drink, she let her eyes slide to his long fingers playing with a coaster. She filed it away as nervous energy or a possibly a diversion tactic, but then spotted the thin scar that seemed to wrap around his right wrist. As she let her eyes hang there a moment, he quickly moved his hand and put it in his trouser pocket. Looking back up to him, she saw his brown eyes piercing hers. She clearly struck another nerve.

 

As the tension mounted, Bad Wolf was not going to back away from his stare. Time to break the silence. She could do stop it by using just six little words.

 

“You just cost me a tenner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, I may have revised the amount of chapters from 3 to ? as plot bunnies started springing forth from every direction. I hope no one minds.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, please let me know what you think, as this is my first attempt at a multi-chapter anything. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay in updating. I just couldn't decide on how I wanted to write the fracas and from where to take it. Please let me know what you think. Beta'd again by the lovely Faithosaurus (but I did tweak it a bit more, so any mistakes are all mine).

Sarah Jane was never a big fan of coffee. Tea was her drink; it could awaken and rejuvenate. It could comfort and soothe. Nothing could compare to the power of a good cuppa when negotiating with others or just within the self.

If she had to pinpoint when she officially became a coffee drinker it would be when she decided to start her own firm. The early mornings and late nights spent starting K9 were more strenuous than even the most harrowing missions she had been on during her agent days. As her business and the needs of its clientele grew, K9 did as well. Her agency became the premier privately-owned security firm in the world, and now her clients included governments and political agencies. K9 had the best tech, the best strategy and most of all, the best people. So to have been awoken at half three in the morning about an urgent matter of not one, but two high profile cases being compromised was in a word, unacceptable. Today was going to be a coffee day.

“Good morning mum. Here are the case files you requested.” Ianto handed her a tablet as well as her favorite tumbler. Metal on the outside, ceramic on the inside and filled with a caramel scented beverage. “I also took the liberty of making you a caramel macchiato with extra espresso.”

“Already took a look at them, eh? Did you separate them out?” Sarah Jane breathed in the steam of her milky drink, trying to ease the tension she could feel in her shoulders. Only one of her agents had a knack of creating knots there. Her massage therapist knew that she named them Little Doctor.

“Yes mum. They were brought in together along with the target,” Ianto explained. “The target, er, Ms Noble is in the green room. The Captain is in medical room two being sorted from the incident at White Stag and the Bad Wolf is in your office.”

“And the Doctor?” Sarah Jane asked, although she knew the answer.

“He is in MR1,” Ianto answered softly. He knew that this part hadn't been relayed to her while she drove to the home office. “There was an additional incident in the ambulance while on their way here. The Doctor had sustained an injury. I believe it's superficial, but the transport needs to be cleaned and sanitized. Finance will probably verify which budget to bill it to.”

Sarah Jane sighed and took a sip from her tumbler. “I assume witness only saw what happened at the bar and nothing else. What about our catalyst in this fiasco? Had he been detained as well or do we know his whereabouts?” They stopped in front of a large wooden door with ornate moulding framing the dark wood. Ianto relayed that Lance Bennett, the man they had been planning on capturing for months, had in fact gotten away when authorities had arrived. With Ms Noble in the green room, he felt that she would be cooperative in helping capture Bennett. 

“At least that mission isn't a total loss,” she groused. “Now time to see if the same can be said about Operation Alberti. I’ll talk to Bad Wolf now, when the boys are ready send them in.”

Ianto nodded and walked toward the medical rooms. With her hand firmly gripping the handle, she pushed down and let the weight of her body glide the door open. This was going to be a long day.

 

oOo

 

Bad Wolf sat in one of the high back chairs with her feet tucked under her. She didn’t remember Sarah Jane’s office being so cold. When she first got out of the ambulance, the crisp night air pierced her skin as a reminder that any adrenaline coursing through her bloodstream had worn off. She had tried to stay with the Captain as he was taken to medical, but Ianto sternly directed her to Sarah Jane’s office. She had hoped that word hadn’t spread about what happened inside the cramped ambulance, but news traveled fast within the agency and gossip traveled even faster.

Settling into the leather, Bad Wolf looked around the room at the random items in the office. Her eyes kept wandering to a coat rack adorned with scarves. One scarf in particular was looped on a hook multiple times, masking its true length. As she considered the ramifications of wearing the scarf to keep the chill at bay, the door opened.

“Good morning Rose.” Sarah Jane walked in and set her coffee down on her desk.

“Good morning mum.”

Sarah Jane walked from the desk over to the small settee by the window and picked up a chenille throw. Commenting on how brisk it was in the office, she draped the throw over Bad Wolf’s legs and went to the thermostat on the wall. After fiddling with the touch screen, she returned to her desk and sat down. “Now then. Rose, I need to know three things. First and foremost, why did two missions become jeopardized within the past 2 hours?”

Bad Wolf took a long breath. This is why she respected Sarah Jane, she never asked what happened, but was always going to be direct. “The missions became jeopardized when two agents decided to have a pissin’ contest while both on the job.”

“Care to elaborate?”

Bad Wolf leveled her gaze to Sarah Jane. “Simply put, the Doctor has no business being out in the field. His sloppy work compromised my mission and the cover of my partner. Weeks of planning Alberti was almost lost tonight because he couldn't properly execute a honey pot.” 

Sarah Jane took a sip of her coffee as she looked at Rose. She wasn’t used to such an emotionally driven response from her. Her next question was in regards to how the Captain had received a broken nose and broken orbital bone while at the stag. As Bad Wolf began to respond, the handle of the door began to jiggle wildly. Sarah Jane raised her finger to pause her, and began to count softly over the sound of buzzing. When she reached four, the door swung wildly open.

“Hello boss! Did you want to see me?” The jovial look on the Doctor’s face was quickly relegated when he saw the woman sitting across from Sarah Jane. 

“Sit down.” Sarah Jane pointed to the chair next to Bad Wolf. Before the Doctor could give voice to the protest he was swaying his body to, she sternly repeated her directive. “We will talk about your entrance later.”

Looking at Bad Wolf, she gently asked her to continue.

“We were at the Stag having drinks when the Captain encountered the Doctor,” Bad Wolf began. “When the Doctor purposely left his target…”

“Purposely? Now that is not what…”

“Doctor,” Sarah Jane interjected. “No interruptions. Continue Bad Wolf.”

Bad Wolf glared at the Doctor. “As I was sayin’, Ms Noble intercepted the Captain when he went to refill our drinks. Instead of pursuing his target, he lectured me on the qualities of a good agent, a subject I had to dispel constantly so that I would not break my cover.”

“Telling the truth factually is one quality. Not everything is an op-ed piece, Cub.”

“Cub?” Bad Wolf scoffed. “That’s the best you can come up with Brownie?”

“Agents.”

Both agents went silent for a beat. Bad Wolf went on with her story, only being interrupted minimally by the derisive noises coming from her side. “That fellow Bennett arrived and saw the Captain and Ms Noble chatting. I guess he took umbrage with this and words were said. I couldn't see how the fight started, because Brownie kept bouncing in my field of vision. I did hear a loud crash. I pushed the Doctor out of my way and saw that the Captain was on the ground with Bennett on top of him. I tried pulling Bennett off but then a pair of hands were on my waist and I was tossed away from the fracas. The Doctor pulled Bennett off the Captain and then Bennett fled.”

“A good agent wouldn’t have been tossed, due in part to the heels she was wearing. Situational awareness, that is.”

Bad Wolf stood suddenly, her legs uncurling from under her, displaying her full height in a matter of seconds with her fists clenched. “Situational awareness? You’re one t’speak! You had no idea your target had started making eyes at another man or that your priority one showed up and sucker punched another agent!”

The Doctor remained seated and grinned up at her widely. “See? There’s those spry reflexes they hone at the academy. And look at you knowing all the players on the field. I knew you had it in you.”

Before Bad Wolf could utter another exasperatedly angry syllable, a soft rapping came from the door. The door swung open gently as Ianto’s knuckles met the wood, his eyes looking down in puzzlement at the broken locking mechanism. “Excuse me mum. Preliminary medical treatment is completed for the Captain. I’ve uploaded the report to you. The on-call wishes to speak to you once you’re done; however, the Captain will be sidelined from field duty for three weeks. Lastly, shall I call maintenance about your door?”

Sarah Jane took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled it through her lips. She needed to assess the Captain’s side of the story, as well as Ms Noble’s, and do it quickly. “Ianto, get me all media coverage from the Stag. Send Gwen in to get Ms Noble’s account of the events and have her report back to me in twenty.” She shifted her gaze towards the Doctor without breaking her cadence. “And be a dear and tell maintenance to install a good old fashioned deadbolt for my door.”

The request was not lost on the Doctor as he looked sheepishly away. Sarah Jane squared her shoulders. “You two. Go and get cleaned up. I want you back here in one hour. Do NOT leave the premises.”

If all went to plan, she could salvage both of these missions. The only problem was that it hedged on the Doctor and Bad Wolf working together.


End file.
